The Part-Time Demigod
by Havalubee
Summary: A Yogscast Fic. Ridgedog's mom has died, leaving him with no house, fortune, or fame. Ridge decides to leave his home village and travels elsewhere to seek his fortune. On the way, he meets some interesting characters and slowly carves a legendary story, changing the world, his friends, and ultimately, himself.
1. Chapter 1-Prologue

The sky was overcast, gray and threatening a thunderstorm. The wind gradually picked up, and the demigod's long, black and gold overcoat flapped dramatically in the wind.

Ridgedog flew to Sipsco, a mischievous little plan forming in his head. He never got the chance to get back at the two idiot dirt traders after the incident on the Voltz testing site, and now that Sjin was at his farm, and Sips was on vacation, did he have the perfect opportunity to cause some 'harmless' mayhem.

He chuckled to himself as the dirt factory came into view. Several large buildings appeared through the thick fog, the most noticeable one being the Sipsco tower. He smiled to himself. No one was home, and today he had free reign.

Well, almost no one. As he touched down next to the pool, he heard someone tripping over machines and scattering equipment from a nearby building. Ridge didn't know the Sipsco buildings very well, so he had to rely on sound to navigate his way to the person. Fortunately, he or she was doing a wonderful job providing it.

Ridgedog found a clumsy Kim stumbling over broken pipes and tripping over open chests in what was obviously the company's tool shed. She looked like she was trying to find something among the numerous boxes, but she was having such a hard time that Ridge couldn't help but watch her fumble around for a couple of amusing minutes.

"Oops, ah. Um…" She slipped on a package of meat that was lying on the ground. "Oh, God!"

Ridge hid a snicker and finally spoke up to Kim. "Hey, you need a little help?"

Kim drew her ruby sword and pointed it at Ridge's heart the instant he spoke. The demigod raised an eyebrow at her, and she lowered her weapon. "Sorry, it's only you."

"Yes, it's me. What are you doing here?" He asked her. Nosing around other people's property was a bit suspicious, even if they happened to be stumbling around in it.

"The question is, what are you doing here?" Kim asked suspiciously. "I have permission to be here. I'm the new apprentice in Sipsco."

_Ouch. She pinned you in a corner, Ridge,_ he thought.

"I was… uh. Just here to check if everything is alright," He stammered.

_Great job. Real smooth._

Kim laughed, and Ridge smiled slightly. "Okay, Mr. Ridge," She said in mock respect. "You said you could help me? Can you help me find the pumpkin seeds then?"

Ridge raised his eyebrow and smirked. "Pumpkin seeds? Kim, please." With a snap of a finger, Ridgedog summoned a handful of pumpkin seeds into his hand. He poured the seeds into Kim's hand and chuckled slightly at her shocked face.

"You… you… You just made pumpkin seeds appear out of thin air!" She gasped. "That's so cool!"

"I keep on forgetting that you're fairly new to all this," Ridge commented. He was starting to like Kim more and more. "What are you going to do with all of these pumpkin seeds anyways?"

"Oh, these?" Kim looked at the yellowish seeds in her palm and stored them in an inside fold of her red dress. "I'm going to start a pumpkin patch somewhere in Sipsco. Since I'm going to be staying here for a while, I thought I should try to make myself at home."

"Ah… I see." Ridge mused. "So you like pumpkins?"

"Yep," Kim nodded. "Anyways, I'm going to go outside and plant these. Wanna come?"

Ridge shrugged. "I don't see why not."

For a while, the two worked under the stormy sky. Just as Kim was finishing covering the dirt over the seeds, Ridge felt tiny droplets of water fall onto his nose. The sprinkling quickly got heavier, until Ridgedog and Kim were both drenched.

"Hurry, let's go inside!" Kim shouted. By now, the overseer couldn't see a thing, so he let Kim take his hand and drag him into the nearest building. A soft glow was illuminating the area in front of Kim, and Ridge guessed that she lit a torch before the downpour really began.

They entered the tall Sipsco tower, their clothes dripping water on the polished wood floor. Kim winced like she knew that she was going to have to endure some sort of punishment for that later, but she blew out her hastily-made torch and dropped it in the bin.

"So," She finally said. "Why _are_ you here? I'm pretty sure you aren't here to 'check if everything is alright.'"

"Um, I am here to check if everything is alright…" Ridge stammered. He didn't think that Kim would put him to the questioning again; she was pretty persistent. "It's not like I'm here for any other reason. I have things to do and places to see, you know."

"Hm," Kim replied, obviously not content with Ridgedog's answer. "Can't you change the weather and make it sunny again? I mean, if you could make pumpkin seeds appear out of thin air, then why can't you change the weather?"

"I can," Ridge rubbed the back of his head, "but I think it's best if nature runs its course. If I made it sunny every day, then all the plants would dry up. I can't abuse my power."

"Wait. Ridge, how did you get your powers?" Kim asked curiously. "Were you born with them? Or were they bestowed upon you by Notch or something?"

Now they were getting on a touchy subject. Ridgedog had an odd past, and it wasn't something that he enjoyed talking about. Only a few people knew about his past. Okay, it was mainly just Xephos and Honeydew, but that was still a few. A couple.

"Um…" He muttered, unsure of what to say. He sneezed suddenly, causing Kim to jump slightly.

"Oh, you're still soaking wet! Don't worry, you can take off your coat and I'll build a fire! Then you can tell me your story!" Kim pulled out a flint and steel from her bag, and before Ridge could react, she lit the wooden floor on fire.

Kim quickly realized her mistake, but it was already too late. The fire quickly spread along the dry, wooden ground and surrounded them in a wall of heat.

"Ah! Oh no! Um… It'll be alright! Uh… Oh, shoot!" Kim cried nervously. "Oh, Ridge, do something!"

Ridge snapped his fingers as Kim was panicking. A fountain of water appeared out of thin air and extinguished the blaze, leaving the floor badly burnt. He snapped his fingers again, and the wooden paneling was immediately repaired.

"Wow, uh. Thanks," Kim grinned sheepishly.

"No problem," Ridge smirked. "It was pretty funny, seeing you running around and panicking like that. My coat is dry too," he added. "So is your dress. We don't really need a fire now."

Kim's shoulders slumped. "I was looking forward to a campfire, but you can still tell me your story!"

"Er… I'm not very comfortable telling that to people, so…"

"Hey! Can you start a fire in your hand? That'll give us some of the campfire story feeling!" Kim bounced up and down excitedly, totally ignoring Ridge's answer.

He gave up. "Alright, let's get this over with." The demigod summoned a small flame from his hand and held it in his palm. The two sat down in a corner of the tower, their backs leaning on the fancy marble walls.

"I'm not going to tell you everything," Ridge warned. "If you want to know more about something that isn't me, go ask someone else."

Kim nodded silently, slightly rocking back and forth with her eyes intently on Ridge's face. Why was he doing this again?

_Okay, _he thought,_ here goes nothing._

**A/N: New story, featuring Ridgedog! Cover art creds go to AJ Hateley.**

**Havs, out!**


	2. Chapter 2-The Old Coat

"Ridge, listen to me."

"Mom, I'm listening. Are you going to be alright soon? This is a really, really high fever you're having."

"I don't think I can make it out of this one, Ridge. I can feel my body growing weaker as we speak."

"What!? No, Mom! Don't lose hope! You've pushed through others, you can push through this one too! So what if it's just a few degrees higher?"

"Ridge, you know that the medicine isn't advanced in our village right now. Nothing can break this fever, Ridge. You're just going to have to accept the fact that I might not be there for you anymore."

"Mom… Why? Why would this happen to you, of all people? Why can't Dad come back to help you? He could help you!"

"Ridge," His mom smiled sadly. "Your father will not be coming back."

"If he wasn't ever going to be there for us, then why did you marry him!? He should be here too!"

"We married because we loved each other, Ridge. You might understand one day. Your father loved you, Ridge, even though he couldn't come to see you."

"I never knew him… I never saw him… Why did he leave?"

"He left because he _had_ to. If he had the choice, Ridge, he would've stayed with us."

"Mom…"

"Ridge, if I die, then you know what will happen."

"The village will get the house, not me. Yeah, I know."

"You won't be able to take many things with you, but if you do take things, be sure to always carry a weapon, food, and your father's memento."

"That old Rubik's Cube? What good will that do?"

"It's the proof that your father still exists, Ridge. Just promise me to keep it with you."

"Okay, Mom. I promise."

"Good… This fever is quite persistent. Ridge, I love you."

"Mom…. Don't leave me…"

"Mom… Please…"

"…"

"…"

"Mom…"

Ridge watched sadly as the resident Testificates carried his mother away from his house. Several of them broke away from the crowd and tried to comfort him, but Ridge knew that their words wouldn't help. His village was poor, and no one could afford a proper funeral, so they just laid her body in the ground and took turns saying their goodbyes.

The Testificates urged him to be first. He stood in front of the plot of dirt his mom now laid in and tried to say something, but he couldn't find the right words. Not even a goodbye. The more he stood in front of him mother's grave, the more he resented everything: how poor his village was, how helpless he was, and how his dad never came back to see them or at least help them.

Tears welled up in his eyes, and Ridge could feel all eyes on him. Suddenly, he couldn't take it anymore. He turned and ran back to his house, scattering Testificates and sobbing silently. He wiped the tears away in shame; he never cried before, except for the time when he discovered that his dad would never come back.

Ridgedog wrenched open the doorknob and slammed it behind him. He planned to leave the village forever, and seek out a new fortune elsewhere. He wouldn't stay here, for there was nothing left for him. Traveling to a new, unknown place was a challenging ordeal, but he would be able to cope with it, like he had been able to cope with poverty and empty stomachs. Besides, he had a better chance of living a better life if he left the village.

He prepared quickly. Ridge stuffed his day pack with the remaining food that he had, some pre-made torches, coal, the stupid Rubik's Cube, and grabbed his mom's iron sword. He didn't really know how to use it well, but he would need it to defend himself from the creatures of the night.

Ridge slung the pack over his worn shirt and prepared to leave. Just as he was going to step out the door, he stopped suddenly. A glint of gold caught his eye, and he moved closer to the spot where he spotted it, curious. The gold in the darkness wasn't his imagination. It was peeking out from the closet, smiling brightly at him.

He opened the closet slowly, curious, and his eyes widened when he saw the source of the gold. His mom never showed him this. An ornate gold and black overcoat hung from a nail in the door, preserved carefully and in perfect condition. One glance told him immediately that this belonged to his father. He never saw anything this fancy, save for the cake his mother saved up to buy from the bakery for his 10th birthday.

Ridge considered taking the coat with him for a moment, but decided against it. He looked at the coat longingly one last time, but something in the coat pocket caught his attention.

He reached out with a shaking hand and withdrew a note from the coat's side pocket. It was old, tattered and yellowed with age. Opening the note, he read the faded black ink. It looked like it was written several years ago. It read:

_Ridgedog. If you are reading this, then your mother has died. Please know that I am deeply sorry for her. This coat was once mine. I would like you to have it. Keep it if you wish, and I wish you Godspeed. _

_ -Father_

Ridge was dead, dead angry at his dad for not talking to him in person and writing a stupid note to his future self instead, but he couldn't pass up on a new coat. He only had a thin jacket that he wore in the winter, and that was it. No fancy gold and black overcoat that went to his ankles.

He carefully removed the coat from the nail. It was heavier than he imagined, but the coat fit perfectly over his shirt like it was made just for him. Ridge took a moment to admire the fine stitching and expensive black wool before grabbing his pack and his sword. He stopped at the door and made one last, sweeping look across the house he had lived in for sixteen years.

"Bye," He said softly. Then he turned and shut the door behind him. Somehow, he knew that he would never return.

**A/N: Short chapter is short, but things start to get interesting in the next chapter! Who will Ridge meet? Anyone know?** **Cover art by AJ Hateley.**

**Havs, out!**


	3. Chapter 3-The Forest Spirit

Ridgedog learned the rules of adventuring quickly. If he didn't, he would've succumbed under the forces of nature or the creatures of the night. He was months into his journey to… somewhere, and he already acquired a diamond sword a talented blacksmith crafted for him. He grew to love his coat more and more, and treated it well. It kept him warm during the freezing night, where temperatures could potentially drop to below freezing.

Ridge walked through a small grove of woods, whistling to himself but keeping a steady pace at the same time. The grass crunched pleasantly under his boots as he ducked under low branches and weaved around thick tree trunks.

"This forest is pretty dense, for a small one," He observed carefully to himself.

Suddenly, a burst of unbearable pain exploded from his right shoulder. Ridge cried out and fell to his knees, his left hand flying to his wounded arm. An arrow, crudely made, was sticking out of his shoulder. Blood was pouring rapidly from the wound.

A rustle from the treetops caught Ridgedog's attention. He stood quickly, groaning at pain that came from his arm. He drew his diamond sword from a dark, wooden scabbard strapped across his back and held it to the ready, not sure what to expect from the unknown stranger or strangers.

"Who goes there?" He demanded. The arrow wound was still drawing blood, and now Ridge's breathing became heavy and labored.

The treetops rustled again, and a skinny figure dropped from the trees directly behind Ridge. He turned to face the person, but was met instead with a diamond sword to the throat.

"Don't move," The person warned him. "Or it won't be pretty."

Ridge thought that his pain was playing mind tricks on him. Standing in front of him was definitely not a man, or anything Ridge could think of. He wasn't a creature from darkness, but he was something different. Ridge didn't really worry about the person/creature he was facing right now; he was worrying for his life.

"Hey, man, it's cool." Ridge dropped his sword and put up his hands. "I'm not meaning any harm whatsoever."

The person/creature thing narrowed his icy blue eyes suspiciously. "That what they all say," he said softly.

"Look, I'm serious. I was just passing through! What else do you want me to say?" Ridge demanded. The person/creature still looked suspicious.

"You're just passing through?" He asked slowly.

"Yes."

"You mean no harm to this forest?"

"Yes! Wait, to the forest? What about you?"

"I don't care about myself! I care about these forests. These woods. They're disappearing rapidly, and I have to do all I can to keep them alive!" He spat angrily.

Suddenly, he lowered his sword and turned away. "Go."

"Wait, what?"

"You told me that you don't mean any harm to this forest, so go before I change my mind." The person/creature sounded unbelievably tired.

"No, tell me more. What's going on with this forest?" Ridge asked seriously. He picked up his sword and returned it to its scabbard. "Why are you protecting it?"

"Why should I tell you?" The person/creature asked bitterly.

"Because I might be able to help."

"Help?"

"Yeah, ever heard anything like it?"

"You're really willing to help?"

"If I didn't, I wouldn't be offering it." Ridge raised his eyebrows.

The person/creature turned around and smiled slightly at him. "Thanks, that means a lot."

Now that his life wasn't in immediate danger, Ridgedog took a moment to look over the person who he was helping. He looked like a regular man, but something about him was different, something that Ridge couldn't put his finger on. He had tousled yellow blonde hair, with a black headband half-hidden under it. His eyes were a piercingly icy blue, but they showed no hostility. He was quite skinny, and about a foot shorter than Ridge. Ridge was unnaturally tall, a six foot seven. The man in front of him looked like a five foot ten, but Ridge was only guessing. His eyebrows raised past his hair as he spotted a pair of pointed ears sticking out from the person's messy blonde hair.

His wear was a bit normal, to say the least. He was wearing a light green shirt, with an odd logo stitched onto it in a darker shade of green. He wore jeans with black sandals and sported a white backpack.

He caught Ridge staring. "What?" he demanded.

Ridge shook his head. "Nothing much, but you aren't human, are you?"

The man suddenly turned defensive. "What makes you think that?"

"Well for one…" Ridge thought. "You have pointed ears, which can hint that you are an Elf, but you also have this nature-like aura to you, plus the fact that you are guarding a forest, which can point to the possibility of being a forest spirit, a Druid. But Elves and Druids are pretty different compared to humans, and you look a lot like a human. So… I really don't know what you are." He winced as pain reminded him of his wounded shoulder, but stayed silent to hear the person's response.

The Druid/Elf/Human's eyes widened in surprise. "You're right," he said slowly. "I am all of those. I'm a mixed blood. I prefer forest spirit, if you don't mind. I'm surprised that you figured all of that out. You're quite observant."

"Thanks. It comes from my mom. Say, what's your name?" Ridge asked. "Mine is Ridgedog, but I usually go by Ridge."

"Inthelittlewood. But I prefer Martyn. With a 'y,'" He added. "So you said you were going to help me?"

"Yeah, can you fill me in on what's going on?" Ridge asked.

But before Martyn could explain, Ridgedog felt another unbearable wave of pain from his right shoulder. Everything turned fuzzy, and black spots danced in the corners of his vision. The last thing he heard was the distant sound of Martyn's panicked voice as everything went dark.

Ridge opened his eyes and blinked several times to get his eyes adjusted to the light. Realizing that he didn't know where he was, he sat up quickly, only to be rewarded with another burst of pain from his right shoulder. He groaned and laid back down.

Memories of what happened before he blacked out raced back to him. Martyn, the Forest Spirit. The arrow. The forest, and what was happening to it.

Ridge looked around him. He was laying on a makeshift bed, which only consisted of a sack stitched together with a bunch of wool stuffed into it. The blankets were well worn and moth-chewed, and the whole feeling reminded him of the past home.

A dying fire illuminated a small, secluded clearing in the middle of enormous, dense trunks. The flame was small, but it was enough to ward off any evil creatures and provided enough heat to keep Ridgedog from freezing to death.

He looked up and gasped audibly. The stars were splattered across the night sky like bright, glowing paint. Bright constellations and galaxies made up for the missing light that usually came from the moon. Ridge stared, and a sense of calm enveloped him like the moth-eaten blankets.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" A familiar voice pulled him back to Minecraftia. Ridge looked over and saw Martyn leaning against a tree, looking up at the sky with him.

"Yeah, I never saw this many stars…" He breathed.

Martyn chuckled. "This is what the night sky would look like without any light pollution. Unfortunately, forests, plains and deserts like this one are the only places where you can see these beautiful stars now. I try my best to protect them. I want everyone to see how beautiful nature is and how lucky we are to have it."

Ridge nodded. "It's amazing. I've always liked nature. The flowers, the different types of trees, the soft snow, but nothing compares to this." He gestured at the sky above them.

"Yeah…" Martyn smiled. "I could watch these stars forever. Hopefully I'll be able to."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm a forest spirit. I don't die until my forests die. As long as there are still woods like these, protected from human hands, I will continue to live and protect them."

"Wow. Is it lonely?"

"Sometimes, but the forest critters keep me company. I do sometimes wish for a companion, but that might never happen. So far, I think I'm the only forest spirit. I guess I'm something like a… Sapling King or something." He smiled thoughtfully at the title.

"I'm sorry," Ridge muttered solemnly.

"Don't sweat it. How old are you?"

"Sixteen. I'm turning seventeen soon, I think."

"Wow, you're young," The forest spirit chuckled. "I lived for over a century. Seen quite a lot, these old eyes have."

"Really?" Ridge asked. "That's unbelievable. I thought you were at least twenty."

Martyn laughed. Ridge smiled; he liked the forest spirit's laugh. "Oh, you flatter me. I'm not that young. I wish though."

"Yeah…" Ridge said absentmindedly. His thoughts returned to the small throbs of pain radiating off his right arm. "What happened to me?"

"Hm?" Martyn took his eyes off of the night sky and looked at Ridge's shoulder. "Oh, yeah. Sorry about that. You lost a ton of blood, and you passed out. I took you here and took the arrow out. Unfortunately, I had to cut it out, since the arrowhead shattered when it entered your body." Ridge winced at the description. It didn't sound very nice.

"I bandaged up your arm and fed you until you woke up again. You're not in any immediate danger, so don't worry." Martyn winked. "I might have also used some Elven healing magic on you."

Ridge was alarmed. "How long was I asleep?"

"Two, three days. I lost count."

"What!?"

"It's a pretty good deal of time, but it could've been longer." Martyn shrugged. "Why, are you in a hurry?"

"No, not really. I don't know where I'll be going." Ridgedog put his hands behind his head and stared up at the stars again. "I don't know where I'll be going."

"Well, you can stay with me, you know. I'll pretty chill."

"Really?"

"Yeah, no problem. It'll be nice to have someone to talk to for a change."

"Thanks! Now, uh, what were you saying earlier? About protecting forests and stuff? I could help."

Martyn's eyes darkened. He looked sadly at the soft earth beneath him. "The forests have been dying," He started slowly. "I could feel it. The nearby towns have been cutting down too many trees, without replanting the saplings. My life energy is slowly fading with the woods, and the townspeople see me as a threat. Therefore, they ignore my pleads and continue to chop down trees. I'm not sure how to get to them, and that's where you come in."

Ridge sat up slowly and raised his eyebrows, curious as to what part he would play in all this.

"You're human, like them. They would listen to you. Maybe… maybe if you talk to them, then they'll listen," Martyn said hopefully. Ridge could hear the desperation in the forest spirit's voice, but he could also hear a little hope too, laced in with the sadness.

"I'll help you," Ridge decided. "But I can't stay forever."

Martyn didn't look surprised. "If you can help me, then that'll be enough. I don't expect you to stay forever. No one does." He hung his head. "I just wish people could see how precious nature is. They can't destroy something as beautiful as this place."

"Mm." Ridgedog nodded. "I'll try to talk to them, but maybe after my shoulder's all healed. How long do you think it'll take?"

The forest spirit thought. "Maybe a week or two, it depends how fast my magic is working."

"Oh, well, then what are we going to do then?" Ridge asked.

Martyn looked at Ridge, then at his diamond sword, which was still safely tucked inside of its scabbard. "Do you know how to use that thing?"

"I know enough," Ridge admitted. "But I'm not very good. I just know enough to plow through mobs and stuff like that. I don't think I can use it with my left hand."

Martyn smiled, an excited look in his eyes. "Then I'll teach you."

**A/N: It's Martyn! Keep reviewing and supporting me, it helps a lot! This chapter took a while, so enjoy it!**

**Havs, out!**


	4. Chapter 4-Sparring

"Raise your sword to block! No, up more! Yeah, that's it!" Martyn called as they sparred. Ridgedog's muscles cried in agony, yet Martyn haven't even broken a sweat. He insisted that they practice until Ridge became competent with a sword, even if his injury heals during that time.

"If you're going to strike, do it like this." Martyn shot forward with his sword and rapped Ridgedog on the side with the flat of the blade. Instinctively, Ridge recoiled, but he nodded to show that he understood.

Ridge envied the way Martyn moved with a blade in his hand. The forest spirit's movement flowed smoothly, gracefully even, through the air, with great speed and agility. Ridge, on the other hand, often felt sore and bruised after each day of sparring. His left arm burned after holding a heavy sword for a while, and his movements were clumsy and slow, the complete opposite of the forest spirit's.

Martyn said it was the Elven blood that gave him an upper hand in sparring. His reflexes were lighting fast, and his strength unmatched to a mortal man's. Even his sensitive Elf ears gave him an advantage. The forest spirit alone could've defeated an entire peasant army, but instead he chose to live the peaceful life. It amazed Ridge.

During that period of time, the two of them replanted saplings, caught food, and explored the wilderness during the day and sparred under the stars. It soon became their regular routine.

They started practicing with the bow alongside the sword a month into their training. Ridge proved to be a bit better at aiming, and before long, his accuracy was as good as Martyn's.

It happened slowly, but soon Ridgedog was able to hold his own in their daily sparring. Gradually, he developed strength and speed that rivaled Martyn's, but never surpassed it. His natural analysis and observation skills, along with his cunning and creativity, gave him new ideas and tactics to use against the forest spirit, always keeping him on his toes. Soon, he was as skilled with his left hand as he was his right.

When the two of them sparred, they were like a pair of perfectly matched blades, neither having a distinct advantage above the other. That left it down to whoever could think of the most complex, creative attacks to hurl at their opponents. Recently, a great number of their duels became draws.

One night by the fire, Ridgedog was sparring with Martyn. The two of them held blunt, wooden swords, so an accidental swing wouldn't hurt as much as a real sword would. They eyed each other up, each one looking for any small sign that would give the other's intentions away.

It happened so fast, but Ridgedog saw it coming. Martyn crouched low and swung at his exposed legs. The teenager jumped back to avoid the swing, and Martyn quickly followed up with a feint to the legs again, but changed direction at the last time and stabbed at his stomach. Ridge quickly raised his sword at met Martyn's sword point just inches in front of his once-exposed abdomen.

Their graceful dance stretched into long, exciting minutes. Ridge and Martyn smiled at each other; it was clear that the two of them enjoyed the exhilaration and anticipation. They were so focused on their fight that they didn't even notice a small figure hiding in the undergrowth, watching them with great interest. The shadow of Ridgedog fell upon the bush for a split second, and when it moved away, the figure was gone.

**I'm so sorry, I'm don't have enough time to write a full chapter, so this will have to do for the time being. I'll release another full chapter when I can, but don't expect it to be soon. Drop in a review if you want, and thanks for reading! (I had a lot of fun writing this mini-chapter, kudos to you if you know who the strange figure is!)**

**Havs, out!**


	5. Chapter 5-Toby

After nearly a year of training, Martyn felt that Ridge was finally ready for the encounter and anything that led him beyond that. The night before the two friends were going to confront the townsmen was a night filled with preparations.

"Do we need our swords?" Ridge asked the forest spirit. Martyn was on the other side of the clearing, packing food, water, and the necessities for an unforeseen emergency.

"Yeah, it's best if we take them, but try and hide it. We don't want the folks to feel threatened. Remember, it's a peaceful meeting."

"Do you think they'll really listen just because I'm here?" Ridge said doubtfully. "I can't imagine that happening, to be honest."

"It might not work," Martyn admitted. The forest spirit stuffed a bag of apples into his white backpack. "But if we just make ourselves clear, we might be able to figure out something."

Ridge stuffed the rest of his little clothing into his backpack and pulled on his overcoat. He stood up and looked over at Martyn, who was still crouching next to his bag. "Are you ready?"

A few more rustles in his backpack, and Martyn stood up. "Yeah, I'm ready. Let's get this over with."

The two extinguished the dim torches that provided light within the clearing and felt their way out of the heart of the forest.

**xxXxxXxx**

A young teenage boy ran through the darkened streets, his feet padding softly atop the small gravel path. The path itself wound its way up a small hill before coming at a stop in front of a stone brick building. The building looked ordinary, save for the tall spire that rose up from the roof like it was reaching for the stars above it.

The boy's small feet built up speed until he was sprinting along the road, sending granules of gravel behind him. His hand reached out to grab the wooden doorknob as he was nearing his destination. The door opened and closed with a slam, disturbing an old man from his book.

"Great Notch, Toby!" He exclaimed, rather unhappily. "What in Minecraftia has brought you here in this hour? It's past midnight. Don't you think you would be missed?"

"No, no it's not that," Toby said hurriedly. He paused to catch his breath. "Holmes! The forest spirit! He's recruiting!"

The man's white eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Recruiting? What do you mean?" He asked slowly.

"I was spying on him, and I saw him practicing swordplay with another person! I don't know what's up with that, but they might be plotting an attack! But, Holmes, their sparring! It was a sight to see! They're better than even four Evans combined!" Toby's eyes shone with excitement.

"If they are really plotting an attack, then we must get ready…" The old man, Holmes, mused. "Toby, you should sound the alarm. Make sure everyone has a weapon, and wake the iron golems." His eyes narrowed. "If their swordplay is as good as you say, then we might need to evacuate the women and children. Go, Toby, and make haste!"

"Yes, sir!"

**xxXxxXxx**

"It's oddly silent…" Martyn whispered as the two friends quietly crept their way to the outskirts of the village.

It was dawn. The birds haven't woken up to chirp their morning songs yet, and the plains quiet. A group of wild boars grazed peacefully in the distance.

"Wouldn't most people still be sleeping?" Ridge asked. "Is it that odd?"

Martyn nodded, keeping his eyes fixed on the buildings. "Most people wake up early in the morning."

"Oh."

They had entered the borders of the town. It was small, ordinary, and reminded Ridge of his own poor village a thousand leagues away. The path was paved with small grains of gravel, and the houses were silent, dark and seemingly empty. They passed through the town without any trouble.

Once they reached the town square, Martyn's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Where is everyone?" He demanded.

"I don't know. Weapons at the ready?" Ridge asked.

"Not yet. We still don't know what's going on. Keep up your guard though."

Ridge nodded silently. For minutes, they stood in the center of the town, listening for the smallest sound that would tell them where the villagers are.

"Watch out!" Martyn grabbed Ridge's coat and pulled them down into a crouch. A twang of a released bowstring sounded as clear as day, and an arrow flew over their heads. Two more arrows followed, one landing just in front of Ridge's feet and another impaling itself into Martyn's backpack.

"Weapons out, Ridge," The forest spirit whispered urgently to him. "But don't strike."

Ridge drew his diamond sword from its scabbard. The hilt was growing old, and it was chipped badly in several areas, but the blade itself was still as sharp as ever, capable of slicing through man in a few well-placed swings.

"Hold your fire!" Martyn shouted to no one in particular. "We come in peace! We only want to talk!"

"Talk?" A small voice asked. "You just want to talk?"

"Yeah, only to talk. I promise." Martyn held his free hand up to his heart in an honest gesture.

A boy, only a few years younger than Ridge himself, dropped down from a nearby roof. An iron sword was held tight in his hand, but Ridge could see that it was shaking slightly. Still, the boy radiated a fiery aura.

"Drop your weapons and slide them towards me," he commanded.

Martyn and Ridge looked at each other. The forest spirit nodded silently, so he and Ridge dropped their weapons. The diamond blades clattered the floor with a clear ring. Martyn removed his bow, and Ridge dropped his knife. Once the weapons were on the floor, Martyn nudged them towards the boy with his foot.

"We only want to talk," he reiterated.

The boy shifted the weapons so they were behind him, well away from the forest spirit and teenager. "What," he said, "do you want?"

Martyn raised his hands. "I just want peace."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't want you guys to cut down any more trees."

"If this is what you're here for, then go back. We won't stop." The boy's black eyes glittered with hostility, and possibly a little fear.

"Look, boy. The forest is slowly dying because of your village's excessive logging. That forest is home to many birds and other creatures. It's also a home for me. At least replant the saplings that the trees give. It's not so hard, now is it?"

"How do we know that you won't kill us all in our sleep?"

"He's with me. The two of us have been living in the forest together for about a year. If I was hostile towards man, don't you think I would've killed him when he first entered my forest?" Martyn countered, nodding towards Ridgedog.

_You _did_ try to kill me when I first entered your forest, you little liar…_

"Martyn's really nice, just saying," Ridge said. "And, uh… He likes apples..." Martyn rolled his eyes at the unintelligent statement.

The boy stayed silent for a few minutes, no doubt thinking about the things they had just said. Several tense moments passed, and he still hasn't said anything.

"I'll go talk to the elder and we'll make our decision," He finally decided. "Meanwhile, take your weapons and go back to your forest. I'll come down there myself to tell you our answer."

"Thanks." Martyn and Ridge accepted their respective weapons from the boy. "What's your name?"

"Call me Toby."

**A/N: I'm so sorry for the late update... I really am. I got stuck with the absolute worst writer's block. Add that with school and procrastination, and you have the ultimate formula for not updating your story. Sorry!**

**Also, the figure is Toby! Pretty obvious, but yeah. Review and all that, I'll see you guys later.**

**Havs, out!**


	6. Chapter 6-Fading

"Well…" Ridge muttered as the two friends trekked home, "That was anticlimactic."

Martyn shot him a glare. "Be grateful we didn't have to fight anyone," he snapped.

"I know… but it's odd, isn't it? If you have been trying to get their attention for so long, why hasn't this happened already?" It _was_ odd, now that he thought about it.

"It doesn't matter anymore. We can work this out." Martyn did an improvised jig in the air. "It's finally going to end!"

Ridge imitated his jig, and the two carefree keepers of the forest danced home.

**xxXxxXxx**

"Holmes, I'm telling you—"

"NO." The old man said stubbornly, his face stern. "I won't allow it. That Elf doesn't know what he's up against. I don't care if you were there, no is no."

"I told them that I would meet them in the forest with my answer. Please say yes," Toby begged him.

"You told that Elf that you would meet him in the forest?"

Toby gulped silently. He could already see the gears turning in the cunning elder's head. "Holmes, what are you—"

"Silence!" He roared.

Toby stayed in a fearful silence as the old toot muttered to himself, "Yes… yes that would work… We can… be rid… once and for all…"

"Holmes, what are you planning? I don't like the sound of this."

"Let me tell you what we're going to do," Holmes said in a silky tone. "We are going to get rid of that Elf once and for all. We're going to get you to go down into the forest, and once you're there, we'll ambush them and kill them quickly. Then we can claim the wood for ourselves. How does that sound?"

"What?" Toby exclaimed. He couldn't believe his ears. The man that he revered as wise and kind, plotting a slaughter for two innocent people? "Why can't we just comply with them?"

"Because," Holmes said in a cold anger, "they are meddling little fools that will doom us all if we do not get rid of them. Let me ask you again: How does that sound?" His voice sounded deadly calm. Toby shuddered, but stood his ground.

"No," He replied in a calm pretense. "I won't do it. It isn't right."

Holmes smiled, but it wasn't his warm, inviting smile anymore. "So be it," he said. In a commanding tone, he said, "Evan! Take this rebellious teenager to the dungeons. Make sure that he does NOT escape. We can tweak the original plan, don't worry. We don't need your cooperation anyways." He aimed the last words to Toby.

The door slammed open, and a tall, muscled man walked in. Toby spun around to face the man. However, he was outmatched; the man had a sword, and Toby did not.

"Come on, Evan," he pleaded quickly. "Listen to some sense. You can't follow this madman's orders! Don't—"

Evan reached out with his sword and brought the flat of the blade down on Toby's head. There was a sickening crack, and Toby crumpled to the ground, knowing no more.

But before he closed his eyes, he swore he saw Holmes' eyes flash red for a second.

**xxXxxXxx**

"Where is Toby?" Martyn muttered. "Does a decision really take that long?"

Ridge sat in the arm crook of the tree, his arms tucked lazily behind his head. "Should we go check? Maybe he's lost," he joked. "Or eaten by the pigs."

"Maybe we should go look for him," Martyn said uneasily. "I would hate for anything to happen to him. That boy's starting to grow on me."

"Ooh, falling in love?" Ridge teased. He smirked as Martyn's face grew red.

"No! No, it's not that! I mean I like the boy because he listened to us! Goddammit Ridge, do you have to make everything so awkward?"

Ridge smirked again. "Yes."

Martyn groaned. "Let's go look for him." He stood up and shouldered his backpack. "Come on!"

Ridge jumped out of the tree and followed Martyn out of the camp.

After a few minutes of walking, Martyn's Elf senses picked up a queer smell.

"Do you smell that?" he asked Ridge. Ridge took a big whiff but didn't smell anything except nature.

"No, what is it?" He replied. Martyn shook his head.

"I don't know, but it's weird. It has my skin all tingly. Let's go see what it is!" Martyn set off at a sprint, and Ridge had to move quickly to avoid being left behind. As they drew closer, Ridge smelled it too, but he knew what it was.

"Fire!" He shouted urgently. Martyn stopped dead in his tracks, and Ridge bumped into him, sending them both effectively to the ground.

"No…. nonononononono…" Martyn gasped. He leapt up, pushing Ridge aside. Fear trembled inside his innocent blue eyes. "NO!"

The forest was on fire.

Flames licked up trees and withered their once-green leaves. Grey, menacing smoke billowed up from the furious fire and filled Ridgedog's lungs with ash and stung their eyes. The fire spread quickly throughout the forest, leaving little behind. The pigs and cows, birds and rodents, all fled in a wild hurry. As Ridge watched, they were soon trapped by a large stream, and the inferno caught up with them. He winced as squeals of terror erupted into the air as the fire hungrily consumed them as well. The flames jumped over the stream and set the treetops on the other side on fire.

"Martyn!" Ridge grabbed his shoulder, but _his hand passed straight through._ The forest spirit kneeled onto the ground, helpless to stop it all. His eyes were dead with emotion, and his face was slack.

"Ridge, this is the end," He whispered. "My life is draining, and I can't go on." He reached out to touch Ridge's mourning face, but couldn't. "Don't be sad. I knew this would've happened one day."

"Martyn…" Ridge's eyes watered. "Don't give up! We can still make it!" He knew it was impossible. The flames have already consumed over half of the forest, and Martyn was fading already. He didn't want to believe it.

"RIDGEDOG!" Martyn roared with great difficulty. "With the last of my energy, I will give you the protection of the forest! Go, Elf-friend, and avenge me!" In a much softer voice, he said gently, "Go, my apprentice. My friend. My child." Martyn's aura began to fade even faster. Before he truly disappeared, he leaned forward and planted a kiss on Ridgedog's head. With one last smile, Martyn vanished into nothing.

Ridge moaned and sobbed miserably as he stumbled out of the fiery ruins of the forest. The flames laughed and jeered at his loss behind him, and he sobbed even more.

**A/N: That was a fun chapter to write. I decided to tweak my original story plot to fit this in, and now I think that the story might (or might not) get a bit darker later on. But don't worry about anyone else dying for a while... Review!**

**Havs, out!**


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